Jim Harrison was a product of the rough and tumble Western Canadian Junior Hockey League. He was drafted by the Boston Bruins and made his NHL debut in 1968-69. Unable to crack the powerful Boston line-up he was sent to the Toronto Maple Leafs during the 1969-70 season. Toronto, in the midst of a rebuilding program gave Jim lots of ice time and by the end of the 1971-72 season, he had developed into a "hard nosed" dependable center. Never a goon Jim in no way turned the other cheek and was considered one of the tougher players in pro hockey.

In the summer of 1972 Jim happily accepted a lucrative offer from the brand new Alberta Oilers in the new WHA. In the new league he exploded with 39 goals and 47 assists in his first year. He set a WHA record that same season with a 10-point game against the New York Raiders. His numbers went down the following year as he was plagued by a bad back, however Jim was still considered one of the leagues' brighter young stars.

Many eyebrows were raised when Billy Harris named Jim to Team Canada 74. Jim was considered a good player but many hockey people felt he was the wrong type of player for Team Canada. He was not considered a strong skater and his large penalty numbers gave rise to concerns that in white-hot intensity of International hockey he would not be able to control himself. The "experts" proved to be right. Jim struggled from day one with Team Canada. His back still bothered him, and he had a poor training camp. In the series he appeared in 3 games finishing with a total of 2 assists (both in game 3.) While he didn't play terribly, he struggled on the bigger European ice surface and ran into penalty trouble. In 1976-77 he returned to the NHL with the Chicago Black Hawks. His back continued to get worse and by the end of the 1979-80 season Jim was out of hockey.